Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Modern Art or Vandalism?

A couple years ago I took a trip to Paris with a group of friends from my study abroad program. While we were riding the Metro toward the Louvre, we couldn't help but notice that the tunnel walls were completely covered with graffiti. Some were the undecipherable tags you see in the alleys of cities throughout the world, but there were also some surprisingly detailed pieces that made use of perspective and dimension. The unconventional art sparked a great debate among our group. Some felt that, no matter the artistic quality, the graffiti was just unwanted vandalism, while others admired the skill some of these works required.

Today I found an interesting article on this debate. It turns out the Tate Modern in London is plastering its exterior walls with graffiti in a new exhibition. Take a look at the article here. What do you think? Is the exhibit finally giving props to an under-appreciated art form, or is it simply perpetuating vandalism? Give us your thoughts!